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Citation

Norma McCullough, “I can honestly say my grandmother was the most important influence in my life,” Life Histories Archive, accessed May 24, 2018, http://lifehistoriesarchive.com/items/show/2719.

File: http://www.lifehistoriesarchive.com/Files/NMS02.pdf

Dublin Core

Title

I can honestly say my grandmother was the most important influence in my life

Description

Norma recounts her early childhood and the time she spent with her grandmother while her parents were working

Creator

Norma McCullough

Publisher

Trinity College Dublin

Date

1941

Rights

This item is protected by original copyright

Access Rights

This content may be downloaded and used (with attribution) for research,teaching or private study. It may not be used for commercial purposes without permission.

Relation

Norma McCullough

Is Part Of

Childhood and Early Life

Type

Life Story

Spatial Coverage

Belfast

Temporal Coverage

1940s

Life Story Item Type Metadata

Text

Thus started one of the happiest periods of my childhood years. My father was away with the RAFR. My mother took a job in a munitions factory,like so many other women at that time to help the war effort. My aunt worked in a large city centre store. That just left me and my granny alone together in the house. I just loved it,my granny pushed on my swing,sang me songs and told me stories. She introduced me to the joy of reading which I love to this day. I can honestly say my grandmother was the most important influence in my life. She was my moral guide. She said manners and honesty were the most important things in life. That and good grooming. 'Stand up straighter ' she used to shout,'chin up,shoulders back ' she repeated this time after time when she caught me slouching.I loved waking up in granny's big double bed which we shared in the front bedroom where I used to listen to the sounds of everyday life going in the street outside my window. The clip-clop of the horses' hooves on the cobbles outside,heralding the milkman and the baker on their daily rounds. Then when I went to bed at night,I used to watch the lamplighter with his long pole lighting up the street lights,they twinkled like stars in the dark street.